Programme of speakers for Taunton Birth Forum September 2011 to July 2012

September 8th 2011: John Macaulay Consultant Obstetrician and Labour Ward Lead will be talking about risk management in the NHS.

October 13th 2011: Duncan Fisher Chief Executive of Fathers Direct. Duncan will be talking about his work with fathers and the equality commission. He serves on the Department of Health Maternity Services Implementation Advisory Group looking at the reform of maternity services following the National Service Framework for Children. www.duncanfisher.com

November 10th 2011: Viv Groskop is a British journalist and writer. She has written for publications including , The Times, The Evening Standard, , The , , Grazia and Red magazine. She writes on maternity, birth and parenting as well as popular culture and current affairs, often with a feminist slant. She has 3 children and is also a stand up Comedian. www.guardian.co.uk/profile/vivgroskop

December 8th 2011: Karen Atkinson and Dr Maya Spencer offer Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses at York House in Taunton for those suffering with chronic conditions including pain, stress, depression and illness. Mindfulness increases personal awareness of the present moment in a particular way that increases positive responses. They will be sharing these evidence-based techniques with you and suggesting how they can be of benefit in daily life. www.yorkhousecentre.co.uk

January 12th 2012: Dr Louise Newberry is an NHS Paediatric Consultant and will be talking about her role in child protection .

February 11th 2012: Gemma and Elaine from Kyphi: Elaine is a British School of Yoga teacher and is also trained and teaches classes in pre and post natal yoga. Gemma works using Reiki. They are based in West Somerset. www.kyphiholisticworkshops.co.uk

March 8th 2012: Anna Colgan is a Core Process Psychotherapist and SE practitioner. SE, Somatic Experiencing, offers insight into how trauma is held in the body and can be healed in the body. Anna will be describing what it means to 'discharge trauma' and will be comparing SE with traditional talk therapy. She will also be looking at SE understandings of birth, infancy and our time in the womb. www.annacolgan.co.uk

April 19th 2012: Sarah Fishburn will be talking about Pelvic Girdle pain and its management and treatment in pregnancy and beyond. Our focus is on how to catch symptoms early on and get them treated to prevent deterioration and reduce long-term damage and disability. The Pelvic Partnership website is at www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk and we can be emailed at [email protected]. We also have a telephone helpline on 01235 820921 where we can answer queries and offer support.

May 10th 2012: Diana Buckley is a maternity nurse and talking about her work with families. She helps Parents with tips on winding, bathing, swaddling (and the reasons for) emphasising the need to rest as much as possible from the start and listening to their babies. www.babiesfriend.blogspot.com Ingrid Beveridge: Midwife and Aromatherapist will be talking about how she set up and introduced this brilliant service into the NHS and what aromatherapy can do when you are pregnant, in labour and post birth.

June 14th 2012: Katherine Ukleja Senior Cranio Sacral Therapist, who works in London, Russia, Switzerland and America. She is a course coordinator at Karuna. Her passion is teaching about embryology. www.katherineukleja.co.uk

July 6th 2012: Kitty Hagenbach and Yehudi Gordon from Babies know www.babiesknow.co.uk Kitty is a senior Psychotherapist and Yehudi an Obstetrician (rtd) and author of many books, who work at Viveka in St Johns Wood are working with Parents-to-be and Parents with their children on birth, parenting and understanding family relationships.

After each talk there will a chance to ask the speaker questions.

There will be a table available for practitioners to bring their cards and flyers to promote their work.